14/06/2026

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US, Iran insist deal closer TEHRAN: The United States said it downed Iranian drones targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz early yesterday, hours after both sides said a deal to end the Middle East war was closer than ever. Drones targeting ships shot down Centcom said that the Strait of Hormuz “remains open for transit”, despite an Iranian-enforced blockade since the start of the war. Disagreements between the two sides have persisted, with Iranian state media publishing a breakdown of what was purportedly on the table that was at odds with Washington’s account. the agreement in an interview with state television, saying it calls for the lifting of the US naval blockade of Iran’s ports and unspecified changes to the administration of the Strait of Hormuz. He also said the only way to deal with the country’s enriched uranium “is to dilute it inside Iran”.

Venezuela crime boss shot dead CARACAS: The leader of the transnational gang Tren de Aragua was killed in a joint raid by the United States and Venezuela, authorities in the South American nation said on Friday. Founded in Venezuela, Tren de Aragua has been designated a terrorist organisation by the United States and is also active in Colombia, Peru and Chile. “There were clashes with members of these criminal structures, in which Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias ‘Nino Guerrero’, was neutralised,” Venezuela’s Ministry of Communications said. The ministry said the “joint operation” took place in the southeast of Bolivar state. US President Donald Trump said earlier on Friday that American forces carried out a deadly strike on the gang leader. “At my direction, the US Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Nino Guerrero,” a post on Trump’s official Truth Social platform said. The attack “was coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well”, the post read, appearing to refer to the interim leadership of Delcy Rodriguez, who has been in place since the US removed Nicolas Maduro from power in January. “As a result, Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else,” the post read. The social media post was accompanied by a 10-second video, showing an overhead view of a building surrounded by greenery before an explosion is seen, sending up a cloud of smoke. Federal prosecutors in New York filed racketeering, drug and firearms charges in December against the gang leader. The State Department had offered a US$5 million (RM20.3 million) reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction. – AFP US spy powers lapse WASHINGTON: A major US surveillance authority expired yesterday, deepening concerns over national security as the World Cup gets underway and Washington remains deadlocked over President Donald Trump’s intelligence leadership. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allowed US spy agencies to collect communications of foreign targets overseas without a warrant, including when they contact people inside the United States. Officials describe the programme as one of Washington’s most important counterterrorism and espionage tools, while privacy advocates and lawmakers have long warned that it can sweep up Americans’ communications without adequate safeguards. The authority expired at midnight Friday after the House of Representatives and Senate both failed to pass a short-term extension on Thursday. The lapse comes as the United States co-hosts the World Cup with Canada and Mexico. The consequences of expiration remain uncertain, however, because surveillance operations under Section 702 are authorised through annual certifications approved by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The court approved a new certification in March, meaning some surveillance could theoretically continue until March 2027 even without fresh congressional action. But lawmakers and intelligence experts warn that the legal picture is murkier in practice. – AFP

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said an agreement had now been reached with Washington “on most points”. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that “a final, agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached”. “Peace has never been as close as it is now,” Sharif said, while acknowledging “incessant misinformation” surrounding the deal. A senior US official also voiced optimism that the parties would be “signing this agreement over the next few days”. – AFP

“The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer,” Iran Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post, referring to the Pakistani capital that hosted previous US-Iran talks. Trump posted a screenshot of Araghchi’s message on his own feed just hours later. But state broadcaster IRIB reported Araghchi as saying that until a complete agreement was reached on all issues, “it cannot be said with certainty that an understanding has been achieved with the United States”. Araghchi provided some details on

The interception came after weeks of halting talks between Tehran and Washington, mediated by Pakistan, that have been marked by threats and exchanges of fire despite a fragile truce agreed in April. US Central Command (Centcom), which oversees operations in the region, posted on X that Iran had “launched one-way attack drones in an attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz”. “US forces have downed all of them in recent hours as traffic flow through the strait continues,” it said.

Springsteen museum opens in New Jersey LONG BRANCH: Rock legend Bruce Springsteen is one of New Jersey’s most famous native sons, and the Garden State is honouring The Boss with a new museum that celebrates his legacy and the history of American music. of opposition to President Donald Trump, says in a 25-minute film shown to visitors on arrival. A pair of cowboy boots worn by the star singer on display at the centre. – AFPPIC

“Bruce’s name goes a long way.” The museum, which cost US$53 million (RM215 million) and will host Springsteen’s archives, was largely financed through donations from “Springsteen fans with means”, Santelli said. Listening stations and touchscreens allow visitors to navigate the full range of styles and eras, although there are notable omissions such as disco, funk, house and techno. “Unfortunately we were running out of space,” said collections director Melissa Kozlowski. Upstairs, the story of Springsteen’s first concerts on the campus of Monmouth University is told. The formation of his E Street Band follows, as does his breakout in the mid 1970s, and the triumph of his 1984 album Born in the USA . – AFP

“The stories that Bruce tells in his book Born to Run , and of course in his lyrics, really became the inspiration for a lot of design choices here,” said Jared Gilbert, an associate at the CookFox architectural firm, which led the project. Exhibits include a gold jacket that belonged to Elvis Presley, a saxophone used by John Coltrane, an Eddie Van Halen guitar, and a Chuck D cap. The items were loaned to the centre by the artistes or their estates, said executive director Bob Santelli, a close friend of Springsteen. “It was relatively easy for me to go and make a phone call and say we’d like to borrow this or like to borrow that,” Santelli said.

The venue is located in Long Branch, where the 20-time Grammy winner was born. Spread over two levels, the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music, which opened yesterday, has a floor dedicated to US genres including blues, country, hip-hop and jazz. There is also a heavy emphasis on celebrated voices of protest in music including Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, Public Enemy, Kendrick Lamar and Springsteen himself. “I’m the one of a long line of messengers,” Springsteen, a leading voice